Air cleaning and heating attachment for internal-combustion engines



July 31, 1923.

F. HQADAMS AIR CLEANING AND HEATING ATTACHMENT FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES Filed NOV. 12 1917 Patented July 31, 1923.

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: H. ADAMS, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

STROMIBERG MOTOR DEVICES COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFILLINOIS.

AIR CLEANING AND HEATING ATTACHMENT FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed November 12, 1917: Serial No. 201,714.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. ADAMS, a citizen of the United Statesresiding at Cleveland, in the county of duyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Air Cleaning andHeating Attachments for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a combined air cleaning and heating attachmentfor internal combustion engines.

One of the objects of the invention is'to provide an attachment for thecarburetor, crank case, or both, which will separate in an eflicientmanner, dirt, dust, and other foreign particles from the air passing tothe engine, and which is so constructed as to pro-' vide for continuousdischarge of the foreign particles from the attachment as they areseparated from the air drawn into the attachment, without the necessityfor any dustcommon provided in air cleaners, and which must from time totime be emptied.

A further object is to provide in a single device, provision for bothcleaning and heating the air, and preferably to utilize the exhaustgases from the engine not only to heat the air which passes through theattachment, but also to cause the separation and continuous ejectmentfrom the attachment of the foreign particles.

In carrying out my invention I provide an attachment in the form of achambered member with an air inlet and a main air outlet which isconnected to the carburetor or other part of the engine. Additionally Iprovide in the attachment a second-outlet particularly for foreignparticles which are separated from the air, and I extend through theattachment a pipe for the heating medium, particularly exhaust gases,the discharge end of the pipe being located adjacent this second outletin such a manner that the ex haust gases will produce an outward suctionwith an action similar to an injector, which draws the foreign particlesfrom the air as they are passing from the inlet to the main outletopening, and at the same time cause the air which passes to the engineto be heated so as to place it in good condition for carburation.

This attachment has its greatest utility in collecting cup or otherreceptacle which is My invention may be further briefly de-- scribed asconsisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations andarrangements of parts which will be described in the specification andset forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view of anengine with the carbureter and crank case both equipped with myinvention, parts being broken away; Fig. 2 is a front end view of thesame; and Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the cleaning andheating attachment embodying my invention in its best form now known to.me.

The details of the engine are immaterial to my invention, it beingunderstood that the attachment embodying my invention may be utilizedwith all, or practically all forms of internal combustion engines.

In the drawings, the engine is shown as provided with the usualcylinders or cylinder casting 10, crank case 11, exhaust manifold 12,carbureter 13, which is connected by an intake pipe or manifold 14 tothe cylinders of the engine.

My improved airclcaning and heating attachment, the construction ofwhich is best shown -in Fig. 3, includes an outer chamber 15 having anair inlet 16 which is preferably covered b a hood or deflector 17.Extending centra ly into the top of the chamber 15 there is a secondchamber 18 which is separated from the chamber 15 by an annular space19, and is provided with an open bottom and a closed top, the upper partof this chamber 18 projecting somewhat above the body of the chamber 15.The up per part of the chamber 18 has a main outlet 20 through which theair passes to the part of the engine which is to be supplied with clean,warm air, such as a carburetor 13, to which the outlet 20 is attached asshown at the right hand side of Fig. 1.

insane In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, thechamber 15 has a conical lower portion 15 terminating in a conical spout21, forming what T term the auxiliary or secondary outlet, this spout orreduced portion being open-ended.

Additionally ll extend, preferably centrally through the attachment,that is to say, centrally with respect to the concentric chambers 15 and18, a pipe 22, which will carry a heating medium and cause the outwardsuction or ejector action through the spout 21. This is preferably abranch GX-I haust pipe connected as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to theexhaust manifold 12. The pipe has its lower end terminating a shortdistance from, and inside of the open end of the discharge spout 21.

This device operates in the following manner: The suction created by thepistons in the cylinders causes air to be drawn into the inlet 16, andon entering the chamber 15 it sweeps downwardly through the'annularspace 19, between the chambers 15 and 18, and into the open end of theinner chamber 18 and then up and out through the outlet 20. At the sametime the exhaust gases passing through the central pipe 22, create asuction at the lower end of the spout 21 causing a small but continuousoutward flow of air through the narrow annular space between the lowerend of the pipe 22 and the surrounding wall of the spout 21. The foreignparticles, such as dirt and dust which are drawn into the chamber 15, insweeping downwardly through the annular space 19, pass the lower end ofthe inner chamber 18 and are sucked down into the spout 21 by thesuction created by the exhaust gases passing through the pipe 22, andare dischar ed through the open end of the spout 21. small amount ofair, of course, passes out with the foreign particles'through the spout21, but the major portion of the air from which the foreign particleshave been removed, passes up along the pipe 22, and then to thecarbureter, and in so doing is heated by the pipe 22 carrying the hotexhaust gases.

Thus air which is both cleaned and warmed is supplied to the carbureter.resulting in higher efi'iciency than would be the case if air atatmospheric temperature were drawn into the engine.

llt should be noted in passing, that not only do 1 secure the advantagesof a combined heater aiid cleaner, but the dust and other foreignparticles which are separated from the air passing to the carbureter arecontinuously discharged through the open auxiliary or secondarydischarge opening and are not collected in a receptacle which isrequired to be emptied from time to time as is the c with ether cleanersof which I I prefer that the lower end of the inner chamber 18 be flaredoutwardly as shown, so as'to increase the velocity of air passingthrough the annular space 19, although the chamber 18 can, if desired,be made cylin-- drical from end to end. Additionall ll prefer to providebelow the end of the c aber 18 and surrounding the pipe, a flange orwasherdike member 23, which will check any tendency of foreign particlesto sweep upwardly along the pipe 22 under the suction of the engine.This flange or washer 23, while not essential to the invention, can, ifemployed, be supported from the lower end of the chamber 18, as shown,by arms 24, between which the clean air may pass upwardly, so that theparts 23 and 2 1 will serve as a centering means between the lower endof the chamber 18 and the pipe 22.

While I believe my invention has its greatest utility as an an cleaningand heating attachment for carbureters, and will be used principally asa carbureter attachment, it has utility in the engine for an additionalpurpose, namely, to clean the air which is drawn into the crankcase bythe suction created on the compression and scavenging strokes of thepistons. To this end I may employ for supplying cleaned air to the crankcase, the same cleaner which is used in connection with the carbureter,in which event it would only be necessary to connect the upper part ofthe chamber 18 by a pipe to the crank case, but as I now believe thatwith a single cleaning attachment for both purposes, oil might beexpelled into the chamber 18 on the down strokes of the istons, l preferto employ separate but slmilar' cleaning attachments for the crank caseand carbureter. At the left hand side of Fig. 1 l have shown a cleaner25, which is constructed exactly similar to the cleaner shown at theright hand side of Fig. 1 and in Fig. 3. This cleaner 25 has its uppermain outlet connected by any suitable pipe 26, to the crank case, sothat air drawn into the inlet will pass throu h the attachment and thenby pipe 26 to t e crank case, and in order that this air will be cleanedin the manner described in connection with the cleaning and heatingattachment for the carbureter, a branch exhaust pipe 27 ex tends fromthe manifold 12 centrally through the cleaner to a point near its lowerend as previously described.

While 1' have shown the preferred form of my invention, 1 do not desireto be confined to the details of construction or arrangement shown, asnumerous changes can be made without departing from my invention in itsbroadest aspects. Not only can the details be altered very materially,

not sential that the cleaner arranged yer eaf or that the air an1,4es,41e

space 19, for a norizontal disposition of the cleaner is as effective asthe vertical arrangement, both as respects the cleaning and heatingfunctions. I therefore aim in my claims to cover all modifications whichdo not involve a departure from the spirit and scope of my invention inits broadest aspects.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination with an internal c0mbustion engine. an air cleaningattachment therefor, said attachment comprising a chambered devicehaving an air inlet, and an air outlet which is connected to the engine,and means separate from the suction in the cylinders of the engine forcreating a suction on the air passing from the inlet to the outlet so asto extract therefrom foreign particles.

2. In combination. an internaLcombustion engine having an air cleaningattachment, said attachment comprising a chambered device with an airinlet into which air is drawn by engine suction, a main air out letwhich is connected to the engine, and a second open outlet between thetwo, from which air and foreign particles are dis char ed while theengine is running.

3. n combination with an internal combustion engine having a carbureterand an exhaust manifold. a chambered air heating and air cleaningattachment for the carbureter, said attachment being provided with anair inlet and with an air. outlet connected to the carbureter, and apipe connected to the exhaust manifold and extending through theattachment for heating the air passing therethrough.

4. In combination with an internal com bustion engine having acarbureter, an air heating and cleaning attachment for the latter, saidattachment comprising a chambered device having an air inlet, a main airoutlet connected to the carbureter, and a second outlet between theinlet and main outlet, and a pipe carrying a heating medium extendinginto the device and hav ing its discharge end adjacent said secondoutlet so as to induce an outward flow of air therethrou h and extractthe foreign particles from t e air passing from the inlet to the mainoutlet.

5. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a carbureterand an exhaust manifold, an air heating and aircleaning attachment forthe carbureter, said attachment having an air inlet and a main airoutlet which is connected to the carbureter, and a second or auxiliaryair outlet between the inlet and main-outlet, and a pipe connected tothe exhaust manifold and having its discharge end adjacent said secondoutlet so as to discharge therethrough.

6. In combination with an internal combustion engine having-acarbureter, an air opposite end of thedevice,

heating and cleaning attachment for the carbureter comprising an outletchamber having an air inlet, an inner chamber extending into andconcentric with the outer chamber and having an air outlet which isconnected to the carbureter, said outer chamber having an auxiliaryoutlet which is adjacent one end of the inner chamber, and meansextending through said inner chamber and adapted to convey heatingmedium and to discharge the same through said auxiliary outlet so as toinduce-through the latter an outward flow of air and foreign particles.

7. An air cleaning attachment for internal combustion engines comprisinga chambered device having an airinlet, a main air outlet and an openauxiliary outlet between the inlet and main outlet, and a pipe for aflow inducing medium extending through the attachment and terminatingadjacent said auxiliary outlet.

8. An air heating and cleaning attachment for internal combustionengines comprising a chambered device having an air inlet, a mainairoutlet adjacent one end of the device, an auxiliary outlet adjacent theassageways by which air is caused to pass rst toward theauxiliary'outlet and then toward the main outlet, and a pipe for a,heating medium extending through the device and terminating adjacentsaid auxiliary outlet.

9. An air heating and cleanin attachment for internal combustion enginescomprising an outer chamber having an air inlet at one end, an innerchamber extending into the outer chamber and spaced from the wallthereof, the inner chamber bein open at its inner end and at its outerend having a main outlet to the engine, said outer chamber extendingbeyond the open end of the inner chamber and having a reduced endadjacent thereto with an open outlet, and a pipe for a heating mediumextending through the inner chamber and into the reduced end of theouter chamber and terminatin at the same.

10. n a hydrocarbon motor, in combination, a means providing an airintake for a carbureter, an air chamber having an inlet and haying anoutlet connected to said air intake, and means for withdrawing dust byejector action from said chamber.

11'. In a hydrocarbon motor, in combination, a means providing an airintake for a carbureter, an air chamber having an inlet and having anoutlet connected to said air intake, and forced draft means forwithdrawing dust by ejector action from said chamber.

12. In a hydrocarbon motor, in combination, a means providing an airintake for a carbureter, an air chamber having an inlet and having anoutlet connected to said air intake, and means connected to said chamberbetween its inlet and outlet for withdrawing dust from said chamber byejector action.

13. In an air cleaner for internal combustion engines, a separatorhaving a suction outlet for the air adapted to be connected to thesuction intake of the engine, and an ejector adapted to be connected tothe exhaust pipe of the engine for continuously removing the collecteddust from the cleaner.

H. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a device forseparating solid particles from the intake air. and engine oncxatedmeans for removing said solid particles from the separating device. saidremoving means being operated by the engine exhaust.

15. In combination with an internal combustion engine. a device forseparating solid particles from the intake air, and engine operatedmeans for removing said solid particles from the separating device, saidremoving means being operated by the engine ex haiist. and a onduit fordelivering exhaust gaes to said removing means. said conduitt-Mctitllltg through the separating device to heat the air on its way tothe carbureter.

to. The combination with a gas engine of an air cleaning systemcomprising means for conducting free air to said engine and forcollecting impurities therefrom for delivery to the engine. a normallyopen outlet, and means distinct from said first mentioned meanscontrolled by the engine for continuously discharging such impuritiesfrom the system through said outlet during the running of the engine.

In testimony whereof,

I hereunto afiix my signature.

FRANK H. ADAMS.

